More News & City Life

Q & A

Outgoing Tax Collector Barbara Ford-Coates Looks Back on a Half-Century of Public Service

Ford-Coates joined the tax collector's office in 1975 and has served as its elected leader since 1984.

01/02/2025 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Year in Review

Our 10 Most Popular Stories of 2024

Our roundup of our most-clicked-on stories of the year contains some obvious picks (like breaking news about the hurricanes), but other popular stories might surprise you.

12/31/2024 By Staff

Merry and Bright

Every New Year's Eve, Sarasota Drops a Pineapple With 10,000 Lights on It

Our beloved local holiday traditions, by the numbers.

12/30/2024 By Megan McDonald

Community Partnership

Our Big List of Upcoming New Year's Events

Here's what's happening in Sarasota this season.

12/30/2024 By Lauren Jackson

Year in Review

The Most Compelling Local News Stories of 2024

As the year comes to an end, we take a look back at the stories that defined our region in 2024.

12/30/2024 By Megan McDonald

Hurricane Relief

City of Sarasota Storm Debris Collection Concludes Tomorrow

The city’s storm debris collection contractors have collected 318,404 cubic yards, or 445,766 tons, of storm debris since the hurricanes made landfall.

12/19/2024 By Staff

Q&A

Meet Ciera Coleman, the City of Sarasota's New Public Art Administrator

We caught up with Coleman, a Sarasota native, to learn more about her background and the future of the city's public art plan. "The arts bring and keep people here," she says.

12/12/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Ask Me Anything

Transgender Activist India Miller Can’t Wait to Take Your Questions

“I’m hoping to enlighten some people not already sensitive to our plight,” she says.

12/09/2024 By Andrea González

Play Ball!

Spring Training Tickets Are on Sale Now

Grab your tickets for Orioles, Pirates and Braves games.

12/06/2024 By Staff

Flashback

The Pinecraft Eat'n House Served Coffee, Fried Chicken and Pies to the Community

The restaurant was one of several businesses that sprang up on Bahia Vista Street in the 1950s.

12/06/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Still Laughing

What Happened to the Central Cocoanut Neighborhood's Laughing Buddha During the Hurricanes?

After surviving Hurricanes Helene and Milton and getting a golden makeover, Sarasota’s Laughing Buddha will soon be back in his spot in the Central Cocoanut neighborhood.

12/03/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Stay Warm

Sarasota County Is Opening a Cold Weather Shelter in North Port Tonight and Tomorrow

Good-bye, hurricane season—hello, winter?

12/02/2024 By Staff

Q & A

Project 180 Founder Barbara Richards Reflects on Helping Former Prisoners Rebuild Their Lives

Richards is stepping down from her role with the organization she founded.

12/02/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Only in Sarasota

After the Hurricanes, Heavy-Duty Earth Movers Cleared the Roads

On Anna Maria Island, tractors pushed sand that had washed over the island’s main arteries into giant piles.

12/01/2024 Illustrations by John Pirman

Just Keep Swimming

Mote Aquarium Will Reopen Tomorrow—and Introduce Lou, a New Manatee, to the Public

After eight weeks of closure due to the back-to-back hurricanes, Mote will open its City Island aquarium tomorrow at 9 a.m.

11/21/2024 By Megan McDonald

Comeback Story

After Back-to-Back Hurricanes, the Local Tourism Industry Focuses on Recovery

The hospitality industry was devastated by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but business owners and employees say they’re on the mend.

11/20/2024 By Lauren Jackson

Still Standing

After an Unprecedented Hurricane Season, Residents Say They're Determined to Come Back Stronger

We're sharing stories of tragedy and resilience and talking to residents and business owners about how the storms have upended their lives, their finances and their plans for the future.

11/20/2024

Information Overload

Why Was There So Much Disinformation After Hurricanes Helene and Milton?

Rumors and untruths proliferated as Hurricanes Helene and Milton destroyed communities. Why do we keep falling for them?

11/20/2024 By Megan McDonald

The Climate Connection

Climate Change Is Making Extreme Weather More Common and More Dangerous

This year's storms were the latest in a string of extreme weather events that have struck our area in recent years.

11/20/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

The Aftermath

Local Residents and Business Owners Pick Up the Pieces After a Catastrophic Hurricane Season

“You jump the first hurdle, then get a giant kick to the gut. That’s what’s been so traumatizing.”

11/20/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Sarasota Magazine